Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Mushroom and Spinach Turnovers

I'm finding that I'm really enjoying mushrooms lately, which is odd for me since I spent most of my life disliking them unless they were on pizza. This bodes well for my venture into twice-weekly vegetarianism, since mushrooms are meaty and hearty and filling and are part of so many meatless entrees. My almost two-year-old, however? He is not a fan. He picked the mushrooms out of his turnover and only ate the pastry and the spinach. Not that I'm complaining -- my toddler is eating spinach. That in itself makes me feel like I'm doing something right.

I found this recipe in a recent issue of Rachael Ray's magazine, and I knew immediately that I wanted to put it on our menu. Mushrooms mixed with cream cheese and stuffed into puff pastry? I am IN. I changed the recipe up a bit to reflect what I had on hand, and I put the spinach in the pastry instead of serving it as a salad on the side as Rachael suggests, and I have to say we all really enjoyed these. They were really filling as an entree, but could easily be made into small pockets and served as a yummy appetizer. I definitely recommend giving these a try!Mushroom and Spinach Turnoverssource: adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, February 20101/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil1 pound white mushrooms, coarsely chopped1 small onion, chopped4 cups baby spinachSalt and pepperGrated peel and juice of 1/2 lemon1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into small pieces1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach until wilted. Transfer to a bowl along with the lemon peel; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream cheese and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 puff pastry sheet to an 11-inch square, then halve it. Repeat with the other pastry sheet. Arrange one-quarter of the filling crosswise on 1 half of each piece of pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the borders with some egg, then fold the pastry to enclose the filling. Cut 2 vents into each turnover and crimp the edges; transfer to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with more egg. Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 18 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.

I'm a Midwestern wife and mom who loves to cook and bake. I learned to cook by watching the Food Network, hovering over the women in my family, and reading an ever-expanding collection of cookbooks. For me, cooking is a form of therapy, a way to reflect on my memories and to make new ones. I'm drawn to quick, easy, and balanced meals that my entire growing family will enjoy. If you have questions or comments or just want to chat, you can e-mail me at cassiecraves[at]yahoo[dot]com.